Craig Sellers is a widely-recognized educator, researcher, and author who co-directs the School of Nursing master’s nurse practitioner programs. His 42 years as a nurse/nurse practitioner/nurse scientist — providing primary and palliative care for people with HIV/AIDS and older adults — are integral to his teaching and research. He practices at URMC in Strong Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department/ Observation Unit.
An expert on qualitative research methods, he is known for his ability to teach students how to apply these methods to their work. Sellers, who earned his PhD from the UR School of Nursing in 2009, works to ensure that the master’s NP programs are rigorous, aligned with health care needs, and fulfill the core competencies of the various NP specialties. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and a member of several professional nursing organizations, including Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, and the American Nurses Association.
Current Focus
Dr. Sellers' interests in education, research, and clinical practice are focused on caring for community dwelling adults and older adults and training providers to deliver care to these populations. In our recent project, ENGOAL - Engaging Older Adults as Health Researchers - our team educated under-served older adults about health care research, with a goal to increase health literacy and self advocacy. These vulnerable individuals developed critical thinking skills and have become outspoken about health issues within their communities. With an eye towards interprofessional education, Dr. Sellers' works with the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center/ Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, training the providers of tomorrow in the fields of geriatrics and gerontology.
Director, Adult and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Programs, University of Rochester (Masters Program, School of Nursing), Rochester, NY, US. 7/2010 - Current
Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing, University of Rochester (School of Nursing), Rochester, NY, US. 7/2009 - Current
Adult Nurse Practitioner, Strong Memorial Hospital (Emergency Department), Rochester, NY, US. 6/2001 - Current
Director, ANP Program, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, US. 9/2001 - 6/2010
Senior Teaching Associate, University of Rochester (School of Nursing), Rochester, NY, US. 6/1997 - 6/2009
Univ. of Rochester (NRSA), Rochester, NY, US. 5/2000 - 9/2003
Adult Nurse Practitioner/ Director of Clinical Ope, Community Health Network (Outpatient HIV/AIDS Primary Care Practice), Rochester, NY, US. 8/1991 - 1/2001
Adult Nurse Practitioner, Rochester General Hospital (ED/ Nursing Practice/ Same Day Admissions), Rochester, NY, US. 5/1988 - 6/2000
Root cause analysis (RCA) in the emergency department: A comparison study
Scientific Assembly, American College of Emergency Physicians, 2010
Las Vegas, Nevada
Qualitative Health Research: Understanding and Applying
Geriatric Grand Rounds, Monroe Community Hospital, 2010
Rochester, New York
What helps or hinders people with HIV or AIDS to make decisions about advance directives and guardianship?
15th Qualitative Health Research Conference, International Institute for Qualitative Methods, 2009
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Taking it one day at a time versus anticipating the future: A grounded theory of advance directives and guardianship planning by people with HIV and AIDS
25th Annual Clinical Convention, Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State, 2009
Verona, New York
Management of Chronic Diseases
Center for Lifelong Learning, University of Rochester School of Nursing, 2009
Rochester, New York
It's No Longer a Death Sentence, But You'd Better Kind of Deal with Reality: A Grounded Theory of Advance Directives and Guardianship Planning by People with HIV and AIDS
21st Annual Conference, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 2008
Tucson, Arizona
Advance Directives and Guardianship Planning by People with HIV and AIDS: A Grounded Theory
14th Annual Qualitative Health Research Conference, International Institute for Qualitative Methodology, 2008
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Planning for the Future by People with HIV and AIDS
Seshadri S, Sellers CR, Kearney MH (2018). Balancing eating with breathing: Community-dwelling older adults' experiences of dysphagia and texture-modified diets.The Gerontologist, 58 (4), 749-758. PMID: 28082276 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnw203
Quinn, J.R., Schmitt, M.H., Baggs, J.G., Norton, S.A., Dombeck, M.T., & Seller, C.R. (2012). Family members' informal roles in end-of-life decision making in adult intensive care units..American Journal of Critical Care, 21 (1), 43-51.
Quinn, J. R., Schmitt, M. H., Baggs, J. G., Norton, S. A., Dombeck, M. T., & Sellers, C. R. (2012). "The problem often is that we do not have a family spokesperson but a spokesgroup": Family member informal roles in end of life decision making in adult ICUs.American Journal of Critical Care, 21 (1), 43-51. PMID: 10.4037/ajcc2012520 PMCID: PMC3615559 DOI: 10.4037/ajcc2012520
Young, A., & Sellers, C. R. (2010). Nursing education: What's new in the healthcare literature?.Journal of the New York State Nurses Association, 40 (2), 27.
Sellers, C. R. (2010). Review of the book Ending nurse-to-nurse hostility: Why nurses eat their young and each other.Journal of the New York State Nurses Association, 41 (1), 14.
Sellers, C. R., & MacIntyre, R (2010). Ethical and legal concerns.In B. A. Swanson (Ed.), ANAC's core curriculum for HIV/AIDS nursing (3rd ed.), 384-391.
Sellers, C. R (2010). Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).In B. A. Swanson (Ed.), ANAC's core curriculum for HIV/AIDS nursing (3rd ed.), 93-96.
Sellers, C. R. (2009). Advance directives and guardianship planning by people with HIV and AIDS: A grounded theory.International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8 (3), 30.
Sellers, C. R. (2009). What helps or hinders people with HIV or AIDS to make decisions about advance directives and guardianship?.International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8 (4), 24.
Lunney, M., & Sellers, C. R (2007). Frameworks for change [Editorial].Journal of the New York State Nurses Association, 38 (1), 3-5.
Baggs, J. G., Norton, S. A., Schmitt, M. H., Dombeck, M.T., Sellers, C. R., & Quinn, J. R (2007). ICU cultural environments and end-of-life decision making.Journal of Critical Care, 22 (2), 159-168.
Norton, S. A., Baggs, J. G., Schmitt, M., Sellers, C. R., Quinn, J. R., & Dombeck, M.T (2004). ICU family meetings for adults near the end of life: Unpacking a common intervention.Journal of Palliative Medicine,, 7, 160.
Baggs, J. G., Norton, S. A., Schmitt, M. H., & Sellers, C. R. (2004). The dying patient in the ICU: Role of the interdisciplinary team.Critical Care Clinics, 20 (3), 525-540.
Sellers, C. R., & Angerame, M. C (2002). HIV/AIDS in older adults: A case study and discussion.AACN Clinical Issues, 13 (1), 5-21.
